Shared Knowledge

 

"How to: Replace Small Tubeless Tires"

 

10 September 2005

Added to: 24 March 2006

 

 

 

 

 

If you have a wheelbarrow, garden tractor, dump cart or any other lawn or wheeled device using small tubeless tires and you have to replace a tire (air leak due to dry rot for example), you might think this would be an easy task but it is not. Getting the bad tire off the wheel and getting new tire on is not a real problem but getting the new tire to inflate against the wheel is. Below is defined 2 methods to deal with this problem.

 

Method 1. When you buy the new tires, also buy inner tubes. Pull the old valve stems out of the wheels, insert the inner tubes so that the inner tube valve stem sticks through the wheel and then place the tubeless tire in place. Now simply inflate. I like this method as I have always had a problem with small tubeless tires leaking air around the wheel rim. With an inner tube, there is no leakage around the wheel rim.

 

Method 2. This method provided by Ken Hall. This method requires you to have a 1 inch ratcheting cargo type strap. Wrap the 1 inch wide ratcheting cargo strap around the circumference of the tire to squeeze the tire tread in uniformly and warp the sealing edges out against the wheel rim.  Application of petroleum jelly or soap solution to the edges before tightening the strap may help the seal. Inflate the tire until the pressure holds then inflate a bit more to allow for the tire returning to its normal shape. Release the strap using its tension release mechanism. Take care as there may be quite a bit of tension on the strap. Adjust the tire pressure as desired. Finally, if you are going to the trouble of replacing the tire, you should also replace the valve stems at the same time. Valve stems are cheap and if the tire needs replacement the valve stem is most likely going to need replacement soon.

 

 

          

 

Oh, there are many Internet sites where you can find replace tubeless tires and it is amazing how the price for the same size tire can vary from $9 to $40 and what quality does one need for a lawn dump cart?